F-ing Scale! Change your Language

It's been awhile and I'm not sure I was missed. But what the heck, Let's go for it.

Any BTW, F-ing means Freaking for all you mind in the gutter people.

So what the heck. I've been busy dialing in my eating and dialing in my exercise. One thing that I've discovered is that I tend to be a slave to the scale. And to be honest, the scale lies. More accurately, the scale never does tell the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. It tells partial truth.
The problem is that we the people think that the scale is the almighty authority on our fitness levels and on our physical well being.

I've learned in the time away that I need to get off the Mother loving scale.

I've decided that I will be more specific in my body sculpting goals, and I have. I now longer want to lose weight. I want to lose bodyfat.

Now I am measuring bodyfat. There are many ways to do that, so just message me if you need help. But for now your goal is to reduce bodyfat and lower your bodyfat %.
If you focus on that, I guarentee that you will have the physique that you want.

Case in point. About 3 years ago, I was the exact same weight I am today. The only difference was that I was a tub of goo. Jelly roll was my middle name.

Today I weigh the same, however, the amount of lean muscle mass that is on my body compared to back then is vastly different. I'll take the me of today.

So, instead of talking about how much you weigh, talk about your bodyfat %.
If you need help figuring out your BF% give me a message and I'll be more than happy to help.

When you choose to change how you measure your physical success, you will notice that you will feel better about yourself and you will be more accurate in your self assesment.

until then.... Live Holyistically!

What the *&%$ have I been eating?

Crap food. That is what you have been eating. That is up until now. Now you are going to change what you have habitually been doing and start getting those weight loss results you want.

I know that sounds like a motivation speech. And it is... but... there is truth in that.

When helping people with their "get in shape" goals, the toughest part for your clients was the journaling of their food intake. Interestingly enough, those what were faithful to the writing process, were the one's who had the best results.

The process of writing it out give you an objective view of your food intake. You then are able to make better choices and changes where needed.

However, I found that most of my clients fell into the "I've been bad syndrome" and are embarrassed to write out what they have actually put into their mouths.

There is something therapeutic about looking at ourselves objectively in neither condemnation nor adulation.

So, to start getting the results you want: Write it down. Be scientific, not judgemental, not critical but rather just observational. Once you achieve this, you will see much better choices and results in your holyistic journey.

If you need accountability coaching just email me: coachdarryld@aol.com

For now,

Live Holyistic

I've been bad

If I had a freaking dollar everytime someone describes their diet.... I'd be retired by now. Pony up people.
I actually hate that description and actually believe that it holds you back in achieving your weightloss goals. One's innate goodness is not tied to the food you have chosen to eat.

When coaching clients on weightloss I am tough on them when they use this phrase. More often than not, saying "I've been bad" leads to less than fantastic feelings.
And when they "feel" bad, they often eat to satiate those negative emotions.

So look at proper eating as a program: either you are following the program or not. It has absolutely nothing to do with you as a person.

Now if you really want to own it and be holyistic then you might say the following when you have eaten unhealthy foods: "Yeah I chose to put unhealthy garbage food in my body at lunch." or

"I'm choosing this cupcake to satiate my emotional distress of gaining five pounds."

Talk about changing your paradigm. Owning your choices of the food you eat will actually help you to choose better.

So, as you are choosing your proteins, greens, complex (healthy) carbs, and healthy fats remember that you are fueling your body for maximum effectiveness for the day.

Remember to always have a protein and carb together. Pork out on greens, and try to load your carbs early on in the day.

Remember that to live holyisitc is to be aware of the words you use to describe your habits and to be intentional about what you do and eat.

Until then, there is no bad diet, just bad food choices!

Live Holyisitc

Health Care??? Really?

So I'm parousing online through my Health Insurance Company website. You know, just wanting to see what is covered and what isn't sort of thing. The fascinating part is that they are very "pro-active" in "healthcare" (loosely labeled). So as I click through what is covered: 80% after blah blah blah, or co-pay of $20 bucks etc...
I click on "Alternative Therapies." Incredible, my insurance company is now a discount broker. All the "AT's" are listed as giving a 10 - 20% discount on services. What! No coverage?

Then it gets really interesting. The TWO most Doctor recommended advice are not covered: Exercise and Nutrition education. In fact cut and pasted from said website:

Nutrition


The following services are not covered:

● Megavitamin and nutrition based therapy.

● Nutritional counseling for either individuals or groups.

● Enteral feedings and other nutritional and electrolyte supplements, including infant formula and donor breast milk.


What why is it that 99% of the doctors worth their weight will say "Exercise and Eat right." But the Insurance companies won't pay for that prescription.

Alas, a political rant. Better yet, a call to change in each individual's life where we the people need to self educate as to what is nutritious and them make informed choices. Believe you me, I am all for a great tasting cupcake. Just don't tell me that the egg in them makes them nutritious.

Live Holyistic

Avoid Cliches like the plague!

Actually, Sacred Scripture is not so cliche. Depending on what translation of the Bible you use, Proverbs 23:7 writes: As a man thinks within, so he is.
I particularly like this translation because it helps get to the root of holyistic living: you mental state.

Are your thoughts holding you back? Are your thoughts manifesting themselves as a negative attitude? Are your thoughts automatically telling you that you can't do something?

Are you unknowingly holding yourself back? Are your thoughts telling you that you can never get fit. You can never get that job, you could never do "x" (whatever x is to you).

If so, then as Zig Ziglar says: It's time to "get a check up from the neck up."


Check your thinking! Change your thinking!

What is your self Image? Do you see yourself as out of shape? Can you visualize an inshape you? Can you visualize yourself eating the foods that will contribute to an inshape you? Can you visualize yourself doing the things you want to do because you now feel good about yourself and your health?

If not.... "Check up from the neck up" time!

So how does one start their neck up check up?

Step 1: PRAY!

Step 2: Pray More!

Step 3: Take Action from your prayer life.

Getting in touch with God, helps you discern what you need to do. It also gives you the strength to continue or start what you need to do to be who you are meant to be.

Read more positive literature. Hang around positive people, listen to positive music. All these things will help you practically to help you get control of your thinking and move from negativeville to Positive land!

Oh BTW, it does take work: lots of it. But it's worth it.

Say Your Prayers!!!!

Did you know that science is "discovering" the benefits of prayer. But God forbid we actually call it that. So, to be more PC we say: Meditation. Regardless, say your prayers.

But wait! There's more!

Prayer has been shown to normalize blood pressure, decrease anxiety, and improve the functioning of the immune system. Those who have a steady connection with God tend to be happier. They also tend to be better able to cope with negative situations in life better than non prayers.

But wait! There's more!

Did you kow that non-directed prayer is more powerful than directed prayer? That means that in New Age terms: we just open ourselves up to the universe. However, in the Catholic Christian tradition we have something called "The Lord's Prayer." (Our Father)

But Wait! There's More!

If you take the words of the "Our Father" and examine it... the first things we say is non directed prayer ("your kingdom come, your will be done". Amazing that 2000 years ago, Jesus without scientific proof taught us to first use Non Directed prayer, and then move into directed prayer. Wow!

But Wait! There's more!

Did you know that the Catholic Church has a ton of meditative prayers (Rosary being the most popular.

So, when you say your prayers, and do them in a meditative fasion, then you are experiencing the Holyistic Lifestyle.

But wait!!! There's more ...

I'm Perfect ..... Not!

Reading the Bible, specifically, the Gospel of Matthew,I stumbled, or restumbled upon the passage about "being perfect as my Heavenly Father is perfect." Holy Crap! That is a true undertaking. So after successfully failing at that... I happened to be reading a commentary on the Gospels and found out that ...
The Greek work "teleioi" doesn't mean perfect, but actually means: HOLYISTIC! (my explanation) and NOT Chuch teaching,Just to Clarify.
The real translation of "teleioi" means "complete, all together, mature." Exactly what Holyistic is.
As you live out the Holyistic life you are actually working towards the fulfillment of Matthew 5:48.

The Holyistic life is one of intgration of Body, Mind, and Spirit; in which all three must be attended to with diligence. What happens when one area is neglected?

One cannot neglect the body to the exclusion of the mind and soul. Often times we see this in conceited individuals, the vain people who are preoccupied with their physicality or lack thereof. Many people who are obessed with their physical being resort to cosmetic surgery or illegal "body enhancing" drugs.

The neglect of the Body and the Spirit leads to the intellectually superior individual who tend to lord their knowledge over the less intellectual. These people are book smart and like to let others know.

Finally, the Spiritually obsessed individual often display a Holier than Thou attitude. You know, the "leave me alone, I'm trying to be holy" type people.

As Buddhism teaches the middle way, so too the Middle way of intentionally developing all three ares of one's life will bring you closer to fulfillment of Mt 5:48.

So until then,

Live Holyistic

Maximum Efficiency, Minimum Effort

Marital Arts great Bruce Lee would say: Maximum efficiency, minimum effort.
Of course this precept can be translated into many areas of life.
Many struggling dieters have said, "oh I'll eat this and then work out harder tomorrow" or "Well I worked out today so I can splurge" (meaning: I can show a lack of discipline). What they don't realize is that they are living by the MAXIMUM EFFORT, Minimum Efficiency law. They got it all reversed.
However, if the struggling dieter would apply the maximum efficiency mentality, they would find it easier to stick with their eating plan.
Imagine saying: "Well I worked out today, so I am going to fuel my body with great food to help it build the muscle i want and eliminate the fat I don't want." Imagine, that the minimum effort it takes to ingest healthy foods will produce maximum efficieny in helping your body to achieve it's fitness goals.

Too much $ to buy organic

You don't have to spend a fortune to eat healthy. Some people give up the Holyistic Life because they think that buying healthy organic food will break the bank.

Let me say: Get your priorities straight.

All kidding aside, the reality is we have budgets and some of us are living a little be more paycheck to paycheck than others. And at this point, organic foods would be a luxury.

Fear not, here is a financial yoga that will get your dollars stretching.

When buying fruit a good rule of thumb is that the stuff with thicker skins don't have to be organic. why, because the it takes longer for the pesticides to move through the thickness and into the fruit. So things like: bananas, cantalope, watermelons etc... buy "regular" if you have to.

The thin skinned fruits are a "must" buy organic. The pesticides are permeating that skin real quick.

And of course if you cannot buy organic, then be sure to really wash and rinse your food before eating it.

And if all else fails...plant a small garden for yourself. This will get you back in touch with nature, and you will have ultimate control over what pesticides you put on your plants.

Eating Right: The Basics

Talking with a Colleague of mine, the subject of Superfoods and healthy eating became the topic of discussion. Interesting time too as I am coaching two people towards their weight loss goals. Which is a story in and of itself as these two people are at complete different understanding of healthy and "doing well" on the program means.

That made me realize how much most people don't really know. And the one's that do...well it's okay to hear it again.

Today I want to recap some basic general guidlines for eating to be lean. Taking into consideration that the food quality today is a bit crappy compared to that of yesteryear.

VERY GENERAL EATING GUIDELINES:

There are 4 Food Categories:

1. Proteins
2. Carbs (carbohydrates)
3. Fats
4. Greens

There are both Good Carbs (complex carbs) and Bad Carbs (simple carbs).
Good: Whole Grain stuff
Bad: "Enriched" crap you get at the store

There are good fats and bad fats.

Good: Avocados, Raw Nuts
Bad: Saturated processed Crap fat

Carbs are your energy sources. Yes, they need to be consumed so that your body can run efficiently. Think gas for your car.
However, you don't need to be "topping off your tank" every couple of miles: that means you don't need carbs for EVERY meal.
For weight loss, you need to do the following: eat your carbs as early in the day as possible. I personally try to cut mine off by noon or early afternoon.
ALWAYS eat a carb WITH a PROTEIN. Never eat a carb alone.

That one little change in habit will help you tremendously.

Try this for a week and see what happens! Get back to me with your results!

Stay tuned for some Fat talk....

Cleaning it Up!

Many times I hear people say things like: "I got to clean up my eating," "I need to clean up my diet."
I wonder: Don't you wash your food first? All kidding aside, clean eating is important if not one of the most important aspects of achieving the weight and physique you want.
There an old saying: Abs are made in the kitchen.
If you are to get that six pack, or lean body, then what you eat is the determining factor, or should I say, what you don't eat is the determining factor.
But Coach I want to enjoy my life! is the biggest "objection" I hear. As if foregoing ice cream one night will make life miserable.
What we are looking for is a consistency in eating. (Eating Habits)
I was in the supermarket the other day picking up items for a "dessert" that I make. (Heavily laced with fruit). I was holding a bag of frozen blueberries in my hand.
and walked past the ice cream aisle and my mind drifted to the days of my excitement of seeing 2 for 1 half gallon of my favorite ice cream. (I then realized how far I had come in what used to be a weekly and sometimes a nightly ritual of eating ice cream. No wonder I was fat.
I still eat ice cream. It is not to the same amount, nor the same frequency. However the enjoyment factor is the same! Weird how that works.

2 Clients decided to join my coaching program to lose weight, and so as we are talking, Im helping them on small changes in consistency. They are:

Consistently drink about a gallon of water a day (give or take for you body)
Consistently eat fresh greens
Consistently choose foods and amounts that will bring you closer to your goals

One client I'm coaching has lost 7 lbs this Week alone!

(Yes this normal and possible, even though pop medical and fitness culture will say otherwise. Believe me, your body wants to get rid of the useless fat and garbage that has been sitting in there. And it wants to do this fast).

So in your quest for Holyistic living, be sure to focus on Holyistic foods (whole, complete. Foods that will aid you in your quest for living that life you want.

And if you need the extra push then contact me for coaching:

coachdarryld@aol.com


Until then... Be Holyistic!

Why are you doing this?

A friend of mine, a priest, saw my blog and wondered why am I blogging this?
It really got me thinking, why am I doing this?
I mean, really, our body is corruptible and aging. We get sick, and know that there is no escaping death. Death is the ultimate part of life, but not the final. (Don't be confused on that one). However, I do believe that although we cannot escape physical death, we can make the most of life. We can make the most of this world. Ultimately, we can enjoy a quality time physically while we are here.
I also am a huge psychosomatic fanatic. I thoroughly enjoy discovering the relationship between the body and soul the visible and the invisible.
I'm doing this because I have seen the first hand results of people who have decided to make the most of their bodies. Not cosmetically but naturally and healthily. Yes, that is my word (healthily).
I have seen the first hand results of a woman who worked out and more importantly ate according to my eating plan thus: was doctor recommended to stop taking medications.
I witness first hand how, the mordidly obese and melancholy changed personality and improved their self-esteem when they started seeing results in their working out and eating habits.
I do this to share what a holistic lifestyle can do for you. I do this because I don't want to limit holistic to mere "fringe," "alternative" living. I do this because I want you to see life as God intended it: holyistic - complete, whole.
I want you to live a life that is good for your soul, body and psyche - I want you to live holyistic!

Fit for Faith?

So I've been running 5k's lately...on my treadmill that is, and I'm not a huge running fan. But in my quest for Holyistic living; I'm on that thing burning off the excess fat on my body. I broke my personal record of doing a 3mile run in under 30 minutes. And the next day I actually ran the entire first 1.5 miles. Which for those who know me is super good, considering I couldn't even run a 1/10 of a mile before. I'm proud of my successes this week and can't wait until I run the entire 3miles. Which brings me to my point. In the quest for a better physical well being, I also noticed an improvement in my spiritual life as well. I found myself reading more scripture, praying more often throughout the day. I often wonder if there is a correlation between physical fitness and spirituality? Are people fit people more inclined to have a "better" spirituality than those who are not? If so, Why?
Considering that when people are fit they tend to have better self-esteem. Their outlook on life tends to be more positive. Notice I said fit, not "skinny." In our thin obsessed culture skinny is not fit, it is skinny. In my work I have met many skinny unfit/unhealthy people for that matter. But making our bodies the best that they can be is a holy act. Maximizing the potentials in the different areas of your life is a great thing. Going back to the story in the Bible where Jesus talks about the "talents." Who is the dude that gets the tongue lashing? The one who "buried" his talents. The one who did not maximize his potential. So are you are living your Holyistic life, be sure to make time for physical fitness and improve your physical well-being.
If you are out of shape, or could "lose a couple of pounds" try a little fitness and you will be amazed at what that does for your relationship with God.
If you are not sure where to start, contact me at: coachdarryld@aol.com and I'll help get you started so you can then live: the Holyistic Lifestyle.

Putting it together

Holyistic Living is about "putting it together."
I'm not talking about pretending to have your act together or putting up the image, rather just the work involved to learning and doing the integrated lifestyle.

I remember a moment of integration (bringing together supposedly contradicting ideas). I remember when I was just starting out in Martial arts in the basement of a church. We had this big burly biker guy as our Sifu (see-foo, instructor). He made it clear that he had been to jail for fighting and that he is okay with going back if need be. But really? Martial arts in the basement of a Catholic Church?
So I asked him, "Sifu, if we are supposed to be loving and kind, how do we make sense of this 'hurting people' thing in martial arts?
He said: "Well the knowledge of martial arts ultimately comes from God the source of all knowledge. How we choose to use this knowledge is up to us. We can use it to be violent offensive people, or use it for self defense and to help people in need."
With that I started kicking butt for Christ! Actually I was kicking pads for Christ. But the moment of mental integration of two supposedly opposing ideas helped me in my quest for Holyistic living.
The beauty of Eastern Philosophy is that there is an understanding that everything is a part of the whole, everything is connected to everything else. Interestingly enough, Jesus was an Easterner (Mid-East). But somehow in our Western thinking we tend to compartmentalize and deconstruct so much that we forget the wholeness of the universe. Yet, the Catholic Church has and still proclaims that we as individuals are a part of a whole called the Body of Christ. Think about it! And live Holyistically.

Integration = Holyistic Life

St. Thomas Aquinas outlined a schematic on a hierarchy of creation. Human beings fall in the middle of this hierarchy in that they are neither pure spirits ("angels") nor are they pure material/matter (creatures/animals). Rather, man is BOTH spirit and matter intertwined and rolled into one. In short human beings are comprised to two distinct parts yet when put together becomes indistinguishable.
This duality is what we want to address today. Thsi duality is not to be confused with that of the early philosophers, rather it is to be seen as two primary colors coming together to create another unique color. (More on that later).
Having looked at Sacred Scripture (the Bible) it is comprised of two distinct sections (the Old Testament and the New Testament) yet it is One book. It would be unfair to try to under each Testament on its own rather they must be addressed within the context of one another. The Bible must be read Holyisticly (Wholistically, or Completely). More interesting is the fact that each Testament can correspond with each aspect of human beings. The Old Testament focuses on the physical and the New Testament focuses on the spiritual. So is the Bible a reflectin of man or is man a reflection of the Bible? It doesn't matter. What does matter is that God promotes wholeness, holyness, or "holiness" for all you grammar geeks. I find it fascinating that God would make the Bible so similar to us.
One fascinating aspect is that the Bible talks addresses both physical and spiritual death. In other words, what happens to the body, happens to the soul. If our body can get sick, our soul can be sick, if our body dies, our soul has the ability to "die" (read: live in hell apart from God, for all you hardcore Catholics). So if we are goin to be Holyistic we need to take care of BOTH body and soul. We need to keep our bodies clean, and healthy and vibrant. We need to exercise our bodies to make them stronger. We also need to keep our soul's clean (read: Sacrament of Reconciliation) and we also need to exercise and strengthen or soul (read: praying and doing good works). So I challenge you to ponder this beautiful notion of both body and soul and knowing that we need to keep both clean and healthy to live a holyistic life.

New Year's Resolutions Month 2

It's the beginning of February 2011, in fact it is Groundhog day! I never checked to see if the groundhog saw his shadow. But Hey, is your year starting to seem like groundhog day (the movie)? Have you fallen off the goal wagon? Do you need help up?
If so, look around you for inspiration. There are people around you doing what you want to be doing, achieving what you want to achieve. Take note from them, and let their example serve you. Also, have you taken your goals to prayer? Have you presented your goals to the Lord and asked Him for help in achieving what you want to achieve?
Often times, we dis-integrate our daily living with our spiritual life. This is not Holyistic at all. Rather, Holyistic living takes into consideration what God wants you to accomplish. If you think that God doesn't care if you set goals... you have another think coming. Man is a "teliological" being. That's fancy great for saying that humans were designed to be goal setters.
So if you have not set your goals this year: GET ON IT!
If you have and fallen off: Get back up!
If you do this, you will be on your way to a Holyistic life.

Warrior Dashing

This past weekend my wife ran the Warrior Dash. A 5K funfilled obstacle running course. Of course my wife whipped my backside as she is a cardio machine.
The cool thing about the Dash was that mentally I knew that my pride was on the line and I had to at least stay competitive. And I did for not training all that much.
However, it was very inspiring to see different people out there having fun. And that is a huge part of being holyistic: Fun.
I wonder how much fun Adam and Eve had in the Garden of Eden BEFORE they sinned and ruined it all. I'd wager that fun was a normal part of their expereince. Fun was probably all they knew. Make sure that you incorporate FUN in your life. Do things for that sake of doing them rather than the fact they serve an end purpose. Take time to do things you enjoy. This time of "re-Creation" will envigorate and energize you in other aspects of your life.

Financially Fit or Fat?

What in the heck does finances have to do with faith life? Really? Well the Scriptures are full of references to money... and more than "you cannot serve 2 masters" quote. Which many people use as a cop out for not maximizing their financial potential.
So, are you financially fit or are you fat with debt. Did you know that debt can be an emotional drain on your life. Debt affects you on an emotional level. If you don't beleive me then run max out every single credit card you have and then borrow some more. Or if you want a positive experience, then work like the dickens and payoff all your debt including your house... then tell me how you feel. Either way you will experience something emotionally.
The Book of Proverbs seems to know understand this when it tell us that "the borrower is SLAVE to the lender." Now I don't know about you but being a slave would have a negative emotional impact on me.
So one step to Holyistic living is to make sure that you are financially strong (read: no debt, live within your means). Get your finances in order this year, and feel the difference in your Holyistic life.

Blessed are the Flexible...

For they shall never be bent out of shape. (Not my original quote).

I have been known to upset some people within our Church. Of course this is not on purpose, but rather a gift of mine I guess. Spritual flexibility allows us to bend and be molded by God. It allows us to flow with the circumstances where God places us in certain times of our lives. However, I am not talking about flexibility in morality or subjective Theology. I am talking about flexibility WITHIN the laws given to us by God. NO, this is not being close minded, rather it is being open to the way God created us Humans to be and live.
On the fitness level compare this to being in a Yoga class and the instructor asks you to stretch your bones. Well, any idiot knows that bones are not created to be stretched, rather that is the job of the muscles. Working within the laws that God gave us. Now, there are many Catholics and Christians who are metaphorically saying that if we don't stretch the bones we are not being "open minded." How stupid is that? Of course our society is thinking the same way: Abortion, promiscuity, "same sex marriage (whatever that is) etc etc.
NO! This is not being flexible or open minded!
So what is?
The open mindedness of which I speak is looking at your life and how Jesus is working within it. Asking yourself, am i being as loving as I can be? If not, how can I do more for the Lord?
Open mindedness is not getting your theological panties wadded up when I mention that Jesus might have had toe jam. And there we go with the True God, True man discussion. Are you flexible enough to look at Jesus as BOTH true God, and True man?
Are you flexibile enough to struggle with the teachings of the faith and look at themn from many different angles. When you can do that you will be on your way to a
Holyistic Life!

The Esoteric Myth

What is the sound of One Hand Clapping?
I love the information age. I love the fact that we have at the push of a button almost all the information we can stand. With that being said, I also chuckle at guru's who claim to hold esoteric teachings from long ago. In the kung fu world there are lots of "teachers" who hold "sacred teachings" and "profound knowledge." I wouldn't even keep it to the martial art world. There are "spiritual" teachers who hold the belief that they are sharing some recovered lost teachings that have either been lost or covered up. However, I challenge you to really look at the teachings of the Catholic Church. Look at the Theology behind that teachings... Now that is esoteric or more like profound. I mean if you can actually grasp the depths of St. Thomas Aquinas' Summa Theologica... well you should be a guru. Grasp the Church Father writings... deep stuff. Sometimes it seems that in the pursuit personal integration, one can overlook some of the deepest profound thoughts of some of the greatest thinkers in history.

Toe Jam Jesus -True God and True Man

I was giving a talk about reconciliation at a local Church. The bible story was about the lady of illrepute, who basically cried on Jesus' feet and then dried them with her hair and anointed them with oil. This being popular story I decided to get into the scripture just a bit. Well I mentioned that this woman may have been a hooker, which is maybe a less professional term than prostitute. Needless to say I mentioned that this lady was cleaning Jesus' feet. Then I thought out loud that maybe Jesus had some toe jam: Toe Jam Jesus. Which is quite possible that he did because his feet were dirty from all that walking on dirt roads. I found out later people objected to the notion that Jesus may have had Toe Jam than using the word "hooker."
This was suprising and then I realized that I may have gotten some people's spiritual panties all wadded up. But I was merely just focusing on the Theological aspect of Jesus dual nature in one being. True God and True Man. Sometimes I think we have more of an issue with Jesus' humanity than with his Divinity. So if Toe Jam Jesus is offensive, check our True God and True Man. I'm not saying that this is proclaimed Church teaching. I'm not even saying scientifically that Jesus did have toe jam. But if I was a bettin' man, I sure would put money on it that he did.

Speak my Language

The Christmas Season is all about celebrating the fact that God became a human being.
On that note I do want to thank the Good Lord for being considerate enough to speak my language. Imagine if he came as some angel or a platypus. Really? Who speaks platypus? I mean how could we really relate. In God's infinite widsom, He became one of me. Became one of me so that I/we could see how we were made to be. So that we could appreciate the Pslamist when he wrote: Psalm 139:14 Look it up!
Going back to Psalm 139:14... we lose vision of our wonderfully and fearfully madeness. We get caught up in the crap of the everyday life and buy into messages that we aren't good enough or that the world is going to hell in a handbasket. (Why a handbasket I'll never know. I think someone had it out for handbaskets). But when we really ponder. Not just "yeah yeah I know" the idea. But ponder and mull over the idea that YOU are wonderfully made. That is a life changing moment.

Psalms 139:14

Have you ever sat and just marveled at you! Having the opportunity to explore the human being from different angles (philosophical, muscular-skeletal, psychological, Theological) I can appreciate the Psalmists' words. We are often buried in the hustle and bustle of everyday life. We give into the demands from the day without a thought. But that is not how God designed us. We were designed with intention to be intentional. That intentionality given to us from the Creator (God) so that we can be intentional in all aspects of our life. As we kick off this New Year, What are you intentional about? We call these resolutions, or goals or what ever. But I challenge you to think about what is it that you are going to intentionally be, do or have in 2011. When you look back at 2011 what can you say that you intended and brought about in your life?

Success of the Past Year

My biggest success came in the physical change that I was able to undergo.
I managed to love 13 lbs. of fat and I gained some lbs of muscle in the process.
Although my weight was the same as it was two years earlier, my physique changed.
This was all part of my plan for complete fitness.

How did this happen?

Stay tuned...

Incredible New Year's Eve Party